KTM Motorcycles

About ktm

KTM Sportmotorcycle AG is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and moped manufacturer. KTM is most commonly known for its off road motorcycles though in recent years it has expanded into street motorcycle production.

The company was founded in 1934 by engineer Hans Trunkenpolz in Mattighofen. It started out as a metal working shop and was named Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen. In 1937, it started repairing and selling DKW motorcycles, and Opel the following year.

In 1954 KTM began producing motorcycles, almost all of the components being produced in house, with the notable exception of engines, made most often by company Rotax.

In 1955, a businessman Ernst Kronreif became shareholder of the company, on acquiring a sizable portion of the company. It was then renamed Kronreif & Trunkenpolz Mattighofen.

KTM's first moped, called Mecky was launched in 1957, followed by Ponny I in 1960 and Ponny II in 1962, and the decade saw the beginning of the bicycle production.

Kronreif died in 1960 and Trunkenpolz two years later, of a heart attack. Company name was changed back to Kraftrader Trunkenpolz Mattighofen with his son Erich taking managing the company. In 1978, US subsidiary KTM North America Inc. was founded in Lorain, Ohio. In 1980, it was renamed KTM Motor-Fahrzeugbau KG.

Since 1990, KTM motorcycles and automobiles (X-Bow) have been designed by KiskaDesign, a Salzburg-based design firm. It is responsible for the overall branding for KTM; including the design of the vehicles, shops, exhibits and printed material.

KTM first participated in motorsports events in 1953 in the 5th Gaisberg competition in which it won the first three places. One year later, KTM won the Austrian 125 national championship. Two years later, in 1956, KTM participated in the International Six Days race for the first time and Egon Dornauer won the gold. 1966 year marks the winning of the Austrian national championship by Manfred Klerr using the new 250cc Motorcross bike. In 1973, the Austrian team records the first World Championship points and the first Grand Prix wins.

Moto blog

2015 KTM 1290 Super Adventure Spied

If you’ve been paying attention to our Motorcycle.com Best of 2014 awards, you’ll know the KTM 1290 Super Duke R took top honors in our Streetfighter/Hooligan class, and the 1190 Adventure was tied with the BMW R1200GS for the win in the Best On-Off-Road/Adventure category. Riding that wave of success, KTM appears ready give its adventure-tourer a significant upgrade that may give it the edge over the GS for next year’s MOBO awards. A new spy photo snapped on the set of a video shoot in Monaco by mentounasc, a member of the KTMMania.net forum, reveals a redesigned fairing and new badging identifying a motorcycle as a KTM 1290 Super Adventure.

KTM to Enter MotoGP World Championship in 2017

KTMannounced plans to enter the MotoGP World Championship with a brand new V-4 prototype to be called the KTM RC16. KTM would be the latest major manufacturer announcing plans to enter the series, following the current ongoing projects by Aprilia and Suzuki. Chief Executive Officer Stefan Pierer announced the news in an interview with Swiss site Speedweek.com, saying the company plans to reveal the RC16 in fall 2015 and spend 2016 developing it.

Polaris to Reveal Slingshot Three-Wheeler on July 27

Polaris Industries is set to reveal a new three-wheeled roadster on July 27 called the Slingshot. Polaris has been working on this project for quite some time. The photographs in this post were actually filed on Sept.

2014 AMA Superbike – Barber Results

Josh Hayes captured his third and fourth wins of the 2014 AMA Superbike season to take the double at Barber Motorsports Park. The two wins moved Hayes to the top of the championship standings from third as the three-time champion put himself in good position to win a fourth. Race One The Monster Energy Graves Yamaha rider had a relatively easy Race One as several top rivals crashed on the hot Alabama track.

James Stewart Suspended After Positive Drug Test

AMA Supercross and Motocross racer James Stewart has been provisionally suspended by the International Motorcycling Federation after a drug sample tested positive for amphetamines. The positive test was from the April 12 AMA Supercross round in Seattle. The three podium finishes in the 450 class in Seattle were tested.

2015 KTM EXC Enduro Lineup Revealed

KTM revealed its 2015 Enduro range, including both two-stroke and four-stroke EXC models. The updates to the 2015 EXC lineup are mostly minor, as KTM saw little that needed improvement on the machines that won the Enduro World Championship E1 and E3 class, EnduroCross, SuperEnduro, and International Six Days Enduro overall titles, not to mention a number of X-Games gold medals. The 2015 range consists of the four-stroke 250 EXC-F, 350 EXC-F, 450 EXC and 500 EXC while two-stroke engines power the 125 EXC, 200 EXC, 250 EXC and 300 EXC.

2014 KTM 690 Enduro R and SMC R Recalled

KTM announced a recall on 2014 690 Enduro R and SMC R models because the screws mounting the rear brake lever may not have received the correct torque. Of the two affected models, only the 690 Enduro R is offered in the U.S. The U.S.

2015 KTM SX Lineup Revealed

KTM has updated its SX motocross lineup for 2015 with new chassis designs, including revised frames and suspension systems developed specifically for the U.S. KTM will again offer a number of engine displacements from 50cc to 450cc, including both two- and four-stroke models for different experience levels. The new chromoly-steel frame uses a machined cross tube connecting the frame sides to the linkage.

AMA Pro SuperBike Heads To Road America For Round 2 Of AMA Pro Road Racing

The 2014 AMA Pro Road Racing season resumes this weekend with the Subway SuperBike Doubleheader at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wis., and all eyes will be on 21-year-old AMA Pro SuperBike rookie Cameron Beaubier on the No. 2 Monster Energy Graves Yamaha YZF-R1. Beaubier may be the new kid on the block, but he entered the season opener at Daytona International Speedway with high expectations.

2014 KTM Adventure Rally Open For Registration + Video

Mark your calendars for the KTM Adventure Rally, happening Friday – Sunday, September 19-21 in Taos, New Mexico. Suitable for enduro and adventure riders of all levels, the KTM Adventure Rally will tour the Taos ski valley area, but more importantly, it will allow riders to put themselves and their machines through their paces in some spectacular off-road environments. Professional KTM riders and racers will be on hand to offer tips and assistance to those who want it, and demo rides on both the KTM 1190 Adventure and 1190 Adventure R will be available.